• Home
  • Who Said What
  • His Numbers Are Josh Hazlewood Reckons Babar Azam Is Closing In On Virat Kohli

'His Numbers Are..'- Josh Hazlewood Reckons Babar Azam Is Closing In On Virat Kohli

image-ln74pvdxBabar Azam has made huge strides in his international career [X.com]

Australian speedster Josh Hazlewood has openly recognized the growing stature of Pakistan skipper Babar Azam in international cricket.

Hazlewood hails Babar's brilliance

Hazlewood's acknowledgement comes as Babar has been producing consistently exceptional performances across all formats of the game.

While India's Virat Kohli has long been considered the gold standard in batting, Babar's recent performances have been incredible. With rankings boasting a number-one position in ODIs, fourth in Tests, and joint third in T20Is, Azam's batting brilliance is hard to overlook.

Discussing the Pakistani captain's staggering rise in a recent Fox Cricket YouTube segment, Hazlewood mentioned, 

"He’s probably a little bit younger than the other guys, he’s sort of following in the footsteps pretty quickly behind Virat [Kohli], he’s a few runs behind, but again, his numbers are unbelievable."

It is worth mentioning that Babar's recent outings further reinforce his form. He scored 76 runs across two Tests against Sri Lanka at an average of 25.33 and made 113 in the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, featuring two half-centuries, averaging 37.66.

Babar's leadership was evident during Asia Cup 2023, where he scored 207 runs in five matches, including a high score of 151, at an impressive average of 51.75.

Looking ahead, the cricketing world is keenly watching as Pakistan prepares for the World Cup 2023 in India, commencing October 5. Led by Babar, Pakistan will open their campaign against the Netherlands on October 6 in Hyderabad.